Question 1

Heraklion on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Heraklion's old-town sights can be reached on foot from the port: the harbor fortress, the Venetian squares and two museums are in or beside the old walled town. Knossos, 5 km to the south, is a short ride away by city bus or taxi. The harbor fortress: The Koules, which the Venetians finished in 1540, guards the entrance to the old harbor. You do not need to go inside to walk out along the breakwater beyond it, almost 2 km long, for a view back over the city; in rough weather waves break over its base. The old center: Lions Square, with the Morosini fountain of 1628, and the Venetian Loggia beside it stand in the middle of the old town. Two museums: The Archaeological Museum, on Xanthoudidou Street, holds the most important collection of Minoan artefacts, including finds from Knossos. The Historical Museum of Crete, on the seafront avenue 1.6 km from the port, picks up the island's story from the 4th century AD. Knossos by bus: City bus line 2 ends at the site. Buy tickets from the machines at the main stops, which are cheaper than paying on board. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Carry your passport: Police in Greece can ask for identification and may not accept a copy, so keep your passport with you.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

City buses serve Heraklion and the villages within about 12 km. Intercity coaches to Chania, Rethymno and Agios Nikolaos leave from a bus station just east of the city walls, near the ferry port, and a second station at the Chanioporta gate on the west side serves the south coast. Buy bus tickets from the machines at the main stops before you board; a ticket bought from the driver costs more. Line 1 runs to the airport and line 2 to Knossos. Taxi ranks are found in the center, at the ferry port and at the airport.

Question 3

Food and Drink

Accepted Answer

Traditional Cretan cooking rests on olive oil, wild herbs, pulses, fruit and cheese; until the 1960s, fish and poultry were eaten weekly and red meat only a few times a month. A meal often ends with a small glass of tsikoudia, the island's grape spirit, served with fruit or a sweet. Bougatsa, a filled pastry, is a breakfast dish in central cafés; in Crete it is often made with soft white cheese and finished with sugar and cinnamon or with honey. Dakos is a Cretan salad on a soaked dried-bread rusk, topped with tomato and a cheese such as mizithra or feta, then oregano. Tsikoudia, also called raki in eastern Crete, is distilled from the grape skins and stems left after winemaking and, unlike Turkish rakı, has no aniseed. Kotsifali is one of the red grape varieties grown on Crete. The central open-air market sells mountain herbs and spices to take home.

Question 4

Tipping in Greece

Accepted Answer

Greece uses the euro. Tipping has not traditionally been expected in Greek restaurants, though customers usually leave a small amount on the table after a meal. A little change left on the table is the usual way to thank a waiter. Tipping taxi drivers is uncommon.

Question 5

Culture and Local Life

Accepted Answer

Heraklion is the city of Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of Zorba the Greek, who was born here in 1883, and it claims the painter El Greco, who was born on Crete. Summer brings an arts festival that runs from June to September. The epitaph "I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free" marks Kazantzakis's grave on the Martinengo Bastion, the highest point of the Venetian walls. The Historical Museum of Crete shows two paintings by El Greco, the only works by him on the island, and the study and library from Kazantzakis's house in Antibes. St. Titus church was built in 1869 as a mosque and keeps the skull of Saint Titus. Agios Minas cathedral was built between 1862 and 1895.

Question 6

History

Accepted Answer

Heraklion began as the harbor of Minoan Knossos and grew into the walled capital of Crete under Arab, Byzantine and Venetian rule. The Ottomans took it in 1669 after a siege of 21 years, and it joined Greece with the rest of Crete in 1913. Minoan Knossos: The first palace at Knossos was built around 1900 BC, and Knossos used a harbor on the site of today's city. The Castle of the Moat, 824: Arab exiles from al-Andalus who had taken Crete made the town their capital and dug a moat around it. Its Arabic name became Chandax in Greek and Candia in Italian. Byzantium and Venice: A Byzantine army took the city in March 961 after a long siege. Venice acquired Crete in 1204, and under Venetian rule Candia saw a flowering of art and letters now called the Cretan Renaissance. The great siege: The Ottomans besieged the Venetian walls from 1648 to 1669, the longest siege in history up to that time, before the city surrendered. Earthquake and autonomy: An earthquake on October 12, 1856, destroyed most of the city's more than 3,600 houses, leaving 18 intact. Crete became an autonomous state in 1898, and the ancient name Heraklion came back into use. Knossos uncovered: Minos Kalokairinos, a merchant from Heraklion, dug at Knossos in 1878 and 1879. Arthur Evans began large-scale excavation in 1900 and rebuilt parts of the palace in reinforced concrete. A new port and union with Greece: Crete joined Greece in 1913, and the modern port was completed in 1928. The Second World War: German airborne landings opened the Battle of Crete on May 20, 1941. Heraklion was heavily bombed and stayed under German rule until 1945. Capital again: Heraklion replaced Chania as the capital of Crete in 1971, and tourism grew from the 1980s. To learn more ashore: The Historical Museum of Crete, at 27 Sofokli Venizelou Avenue on the seafront, covers the island from the 4th century AD to the Second World War. Hours change with the season, with shorter hours and Sunday closing in winter, so check before you go.

Question 7

Heraklion with Children

Accepted Answer

With children, Heraklion works well as a morning at Knossos and a slower afternoon in the old town, with the harbor breakwater as a place to stretch your legs. Children who know the story of the Minotaur get the most out of the palace; Arthur Evans named the Minoans after the legend. Younger children: Walk out along the breakwater beyond the Koules for the sea air and the view of the ferry port, keeping well back where waves break. School age: At Knossos, look for the palace columns, which narrow toward the bottom, unlike later Greek columns. Then find the Minoan frescoes, including the bull-leaping scene, in the Archaeological Museum. Teenagers: The Historical Museum has a 4-by-4-meter model showing Candia in the mid-17th century, and material on the German occupation. Entry is free for children aged 12 and under, and adults paid €8 in 2026, so check before you go. In summer: Crete's summers are hot and dry, so carry water for the visit to Knossos.

Question 8

Accessible Travel

Accepted Answer

Heraklion's old town is close to the port, but its pavements are often blocked by parked cars and motorbikes, some streets have no pavement at all, and drivers do not always stop at crossings. Ask your ship about the gangway and the route from your berth to the terminal before you set out. The Historical Museum of Crete has a ramp from its northern courtyard, at the corner of Sofokli Venizelou and Grevenon streets, and a lift and an electric stair climber for wheelchairs to reach the upper floors. Visitors with a disability rating of 67 percent or more enter the Historical Museum free on showing proof, as does one companion of a visitor with a visual or mobility impairment.

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